collecting leaves soon

4season · November 6, 2015

We have had a couple of light frosts, but this morning it was 23. I have been waiting for leaf fall because I use bagged leaves as insulation on the sides of my leek beds and over the carrots. When all is frost protected I get more to shred and mix with coffee grounds for use as mulch in the spring. Never enough.

bower · November 6, 2015

4season, are you overwintering the leeks and carrots in the ground?
I was reading about your climate the other day, it sounds like a great place to garden.

We just had two nasty days with a couple of cm of snow on the ground, but expecting rain and 13 C tomorrow... and our leaves haven't fallen either.

They are late this year and even clung on in all the wild wind the past two days. I had this silly idea that the birches at the end of my garden wiould conveniently drop their leaves onto my garlic beds.

But luckily I got some grass clippings for that. Kelp is my favourite mulch, but as you said about the leaves, there's never enough for its many uses.

4season · November 6, 2015

Overwintering carrots in the ground, after a month or two the tops get kind of bad but the carrots themselves are OK. Its hard to say in the ground for leeks as most of the edible portion is above ground. I run a row of leaf bags down both sides of a leek bed and cover with a tarp. I may put loose leaves or straw under the tarp. Leek beds are 6 drip tapes 6 inches apart (15 cm) planted both sides.

AlittleSalt · November 6, 2015

Reading this reminded me of a few years ago when I told my brother I needed the leaves he rakes up around his house. Before I started gardening, he used to burn the leaves in a huge pile/mound around 30' wide and 5' tall. He assured me that I wouldn't be able to use all his leaves in the garden. I used all of his leaves, the ones around our yard, and had to go find more. Since then, he just asks, "Where do you want them".

Something that comes in handy for moving a lot of leaves is those city garbage totes. I'm pretty sure they are called "Toters". They move a lot of leaves at a time.

Father'sDaughter · November 6, 2015

Or you can use an old landscaper technique - rake them onto a tarp, gather up the four corners, and drag them to wherever you want them.

Dutch · November 15, 2015

I started my leaf pile a couple of weeks ago. Right now it is about the size of two full size passenger vans. I will be adding more to it this week. There are a lot of oak leaves in it, so hopefully it will help to acidify it a little bit.
LeafPile2015.jpg
Dutch

AlittleSalt · November 20, 2015

Over the past couple of days, the oak leaves have really started falling fast. There's a cold front coming in the morning with 30+ mph winds. I will be collecting leaves soon so we can get to our car.

4season · November 20, 2015

We were out of town for a couple days, got back yesterday. Today there are bags of leaves on the curb and I see people raking. OK, only 1 kid but tomorrow is Saturday and I expect to collect 60 or 70 bags in my little pickup truck.

November 6, 2015	#1
4season Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: albuquerque Posts: 308	collecting leaves soon We have had a couple of light frosts, but this morning it was 23. I have been waiting for leaf fall because I use bagged leaves as insulation on the sides of my leek beds and over the carrots. When all is frost protected I get more to shred and mix with coffee grounds for use as mulch in the spring. Never enough.

November 6, 2015	#3
4season Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: albuquerque Posts: 308	Overwintering carrots in the ground, after a month or two the tops get kind of bad but the carrots themselves are OK. Its hard to say in the ground for leeks as most of the edible portion is above ground. I run a row of leaf bags down both sides of a leek bed and cover with a tarp. I may put loose leaves or straw under the tarp. Leek beds are 6 drip tapes 6 inches apart (15 cm) planted both sides. Last edited by 4season; November 6, 2015 at 01:26 PM. Reason: add info

November 15, 2015	#6
Dutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: S.E. Wisconsin Zone 5b Posts: 1,831	I started my leaf pile a couple of weeks ago. Right now it is about the size of two full size passenger vans. I will be adding more to it this week. There are a lot of oak leaves in it, so hopefully it will help to acidify it a little bit. LeafPile2015.jpg Dutch __________________ "Discretion is the better part of valor" Charles Churchill The intuitive mind is a gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. But we have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift. (paraphrased) Albert Einstein I come from a long line of sod busters, spanning back several centuries.

November 6, 2015	#2
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	4season, are you overwintering the leeks and carrots in the ground? I was reading about your climate the other day, it sounds like a great place to garden. We just had two nasty days with a couple of cm of snow on the ground, but expecting rain and 13 C tomorrow... and our leaves haven't fallen either. They are late this year and even clung on in all the wild wind the past two days. I had this silly idea that the birches at the end of my garden wiould conveniently drop their leaves onto my garlic beds. But luckily I got some grass clippings for that. Kelp is my favourite mulch, but as you said about the leaves, there's never enough for its many uses.

November 6, 2015	#4
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Reading this reminded me of a few years ago when I told my brother I needed the leaves he rakes up around his house. Before I started gardening, he used to burn the leaves in a huge pile/mound around 30' wide and 5' tall. He assured me that I wouldn't be able to use all his leaves in the garden. I used all of his leaves, the ones around our yard, and had to go find more. Since then, he just asks, "Where do you want them". Something that comes in handy for moving a lot of leaves is those city garbage totes. I'm pretty sure they are called "Toters". They move a lot of leaves at a time.

November 6, 2015	#5
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,919	Or you can use an old landscaper technique - rake them onto a tarp, gather up the four corners, and drag them to wherever you want them.

November 20, 2015	#7
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Over the past couple of days, the oak leaves have really started falling fast. There's a cold front coming in the morning with 30+ mph winds. I will be collecting leaves soon so we can get to our car.